The Dow Knows all

The Daily Show: The Dow knows all

Irrationality

News

The Onion is the only news network telling the truth

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/al_qaeda_also_fed_up_with_ground

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/9_11_conspiracy_theories

Math, with a capital 'M'

from UC Berkeley's job board:

Employer:	Cutler Group LP
Division:	N/A
Title:	Trading Analyst
Qualification:	Qualified applicants must be self-motivated, have a history of superior academic achievement, and possess a strong aptitude in Math. For the Trading Analyst role, special ....

How unimpressive.

Divorce the 'Asset'

In the past there were always stories of divorcees who fought over the assets. Now they're fighting not to get the assets (with the mortgage included)
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2008/12/ny-times-toxic-homes-and-divorces.html

All of these 'walking away' stories seemed like media exaggeration at first but now they seem more and more legitimate.

Consultants

from the WSJ, describing the depressed holiday season:

... said Mary Delk, a director in the retail practice at consulting firm Deloitte LLP. "Retailers went from 'Ho-ho' to 'Uh-oh' to 'Oh-no.'"

That is some valuable management consulting wisdom right there. It would make a fine and witty conclusion to a powerpoint presentation.

Universal Question Solved by Math

I think a universal question is, how the hell did I (insert yourself here) get so lucky to exist on this perfect planet in the middle of a universe otherwise devoid of life? I believe it's the inability to rationally answer questions like this that push people toward religious superstition.

Answer:

Bayes rule tells us the probability of something (A) given that we know something else happened (B):




For example, I ask what is the probability that I am so lucky to exist on this microscopic paradise (A) given that I know I exist on this rare planet (B).

P("Lucky"|"Know") = P("Lucky" && "Know")/P("Know")

But since everyone who was lucky enough to live on Earth knows they exist,
P("Lucky" && "Know") = P("Know")
=> P("Lucky"|"Know") = P("Know")/P("Know") = 1

So as long as you're conscious to know that you have been blessed to live against all odds, it's a trivial conclusion.